Meira Kumar bats for ideology, asks members of collegiums to follow their conscience

Terming the ongoing Presidential polls as a 'battle of ideology', Opposition candidate Meira Kumar on Monday requested the member of collegiums to pay heed to their conscience and take a decision in the best interest of the country.

"I have requested the member of the collegiums to pay heed to their conscience, because there is nothing more pure and powerful than that. They should consider it in the best interest and the future of the country," Kumar said.

Kumar said it is ideology which binds India together and it is very important to protect and preserve it.

"Our ideology is social justice, inclusiveness, secularism, transparency, freedom of expression, freedom of press, end of poverty, and total destruction of the caste system. It is important that we protect and preserve it," she said.

The Congress-led Opposition nominated Kumar to face National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Ram Nath Kovind.

Many of the Opposition parties including the Janata Dal (Secular), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) are backing Kumar.

While Kovind, apart from the NDA allies, is being supported by major non-NDA parties like the JD-U, the BJD, the AIADMK, the TRS and the YSR-Congress.